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2 HAMILTON SPECTATOR Tuesday February 16 2016 www.spec.com.au News wrap Inquiries continuing SKYE GRIGG THE reasons why the truck driver left the scene of the fiery crash and showed up alive more than 30 hours later, 16 kilometres away from the scene of the accident remains a mystery to police. The Victoria Police major collision unit are this week continuing their inquiries, and will speak to the 51-year-old Glen Waverly man following his discharge from the Hamilton Base Hospital on Friday. “It is not clear yet how the truck driver survived, or why he travelled such a distance, but our investigations are ongoing and no charges have been laid at this stage.” The head-on crash last Tuesday morning involving a 4WD drive vehicle and a B-double truck occurred about a kilometre from the Hamilton Harness Racing Club on the Glenelg Highway, causing the truck to be engulfed in fire so fierce that police investigations were initially unsure if the truck driver had been incinerated or had in some way escaped. It subsequently emerged on Thursday that the truck driver was found in a dazed state on a sheep property owned by Penshurst farmers Ben and Leticia Walkenhorst. He was taken to the Hamilton Base Hospital with injuries, including burns to his body and remained under police guard until his release on Friday. The 26-year-old South Australian man driving the 4WD died at the scene and his 17-year-old male passenger was flown to The Royal Melbourne Hospital, where he is fighting for his life and remains in a critical condition. ‘Fred’ will be back FRED the farmer will be back! GEORGE Street Primary School principal Tina Walkeden welcomes the news that all Victorian State Schools will be able to send free texts to parents in any crisis situation. Government to pay for emergency texts at schools SKYE GRIGG STATE schools across the southwest will be able to send mass text messages in emergencies after criticism that parents were finding out about bomb hoaxes through social media and word of mouth. The State Government says they will cover the cost of sending the alerts to parents as yet more schools were hit with threatening calls last week. The announcement comes after it was revealed that only a small number of state primary schools had notified parents by text message following a spate of fake bomb threats across the state and including regional schools in Warrnambool and Mildura. Education Minister James Merlino said schools would be able to use the SMS technology for free in any crisis situation. “It will be able to be used for free in any type of emergency situation, including bushfires. The latest hoaxes have been a timely reminder about the importance of schools quickly notifying their parent communities, after first ensuring the safety of students and staff.” Although it was reported that fewer than a quarter of state primary schools had access to the technology, it emerged last week that all government schools have had the technology since September but only 121 were using it because some did not know about it, and others baulked at the cost of sending out so many texts. George Street Primary School principal Tina Walkeden welcomed the news. “Any system to enable parents to be immediately contacted is a good thing and it is reassuring to know that the government is now going to cover the costs.” Being a small school, Ms Walkeden said they can contact parents within a short space of time, but would now ensure the texting service is used as additional means of communication given its availability and no cost. Two weeks ago students at George Street Primary School were “evacuated” from the school as part of an exercise in case of a bomb threat. The evacuation exercise was held during the school day and parents were notified about the practice run. South West Victoria Dine in or take-away Meals LUNCH SPECIALS From $ OPENING HOURS LUNCH Tuesday-Sunday 11.30am-2pm DINNER Tuesday-Sunday 5.30pm-9pm CLOSED MONDAY Tel: (03) 5571 2220 105 Thompson Street, Hamilton VIC 3300 www.facebook.com/thaitownhamilton Covering “We practised an evacuation drill to ensure students knew the procedure and where to go when they hear specific sirens. Staff and students practise lock-downs and evacuations regularly to ensure everyone knows what to do in an emergency and every classroom has a poster detailing staff roles under an emergency as a reminder. Staff are also taken through what to do in emergency situations during meetings.” Ms Walkeden says the school has evacuation points along with a room to go to in the event of a lock-in. Victoria Police and the Australian Federal Police are still working to identify the hoaxers. Their focus is believed to be on international criminals. That’s the message from the Hamilton SUPPLIED Pocket Garden after Fred, one half of the Fred and Louise bronze statue in place there, was torn from his moorings by vandals at the weekend. Pocket Garden spokesman Tony Henry said damage to the statue could be repaired and council staff had taken Fred away while decisions were being made as to how to better anchor the artwork. A small fire was lit there and a plant was torn out of the ground as well. “Hopefully it’s a one-off incident,” Mr Henry said. “We’ll talk about in over the next few days but Fred will be back.” Police are investigating. Hamilton Art Gallery director Sarah Schmidt said it was sad to see the vandalism but as with all public art vandalism, it was an anticipated factor. “The good news is that no permanent damage was sustained to any of the sculpture in the garden and the strong sentiment of support for the Hamilton Community Garden Association’s pocket garden has only been buoyed by the response of the community to this vandalism,” she said. “The Pocket Garden of Corridale Lane is already a much loved community space and Fred will return to preside over it soon.” Ms Schmidt said the gallery supported sustained public art projects. “We hope the community enjoyed the temporary visit of Judy Warne’s largest bronze crow when it flew in for just a month long visit in association with the gallery’s exhibition of Warne’s work.” She said that from May 20 to June 19 this year, Dean Bowen, maker of the Hamilton Farmers, would be featured in a solo exhibition at Hamilton Gallery. 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